Friends from the Past
by Roku
Summary: The group stumbles upon a mysterious creature, a half breed wolffox demon named Roku, who has a link to Inuyasha when he was young. Who is the wolffox, and how does she know Inuyasha? What are the mysteries about to unfold? We shall see! Please R & R.
1. A Familiar Face

A/N:

Hello! My name is Roku and this is my first REAL fiction. I have been a huge Inuyasha fan for many years now and have been developing my character, Roku, just as long. I believe this story will tell a side of Inuyasha that has never been told, a side no one really has ever known. This story may begin slowly, but trust me, more intensity is to come. This is my first fanfiction Roku will appear in, despite she has "lived" for 5 years of my life. Inuyasha is such a strong story, I had to write about it. I will update new chapters ASAP. This first one is more of a preview teaser chapter for the wonderful chapters (Some I already have written) to come. Please, bear with me. I am very impatient with myself and want more than anything to express my thoughts in words, more difficult than I could have imagined. I hope to unveil Roku's character and make her very powerful I know this will happen, but I depend on you, the readers, to be faithful. But this story MUST be told. I owe it to my character and my favorite anime to write a story full of meaning and emotion. My heart and soul is going into this story, more than I know myself. Please, don't plagiarize (I'd rather have my car stolen…at least my heart was not in it) so please, be moral. Constructive criticism is welcome; so please R & R. Inuyasha is ©Rumiko Takahashi and Roku is copyright me, ©Roku. Do not use my character without permission. Now to the story.

... CHAPTER ONE- A FAMILIAR FACE 

It was a usual day in the Feudal Era. The sun was shining brightly from the west as clouds dotted randomly against the beaming blue sky. Birds sang and chirped, as a strange looking group headed forward on the road below. Inuyasha led the way, in his usual position, and Kagome behind followed by Miroku, Sango, Kirara, and Shippo. They were after a Shikon Shard, which was not surprising.

"It sure is a nice day," Kagome said "Even more beautiful than last week."

"The summer is coming." Inuyasha replied, "We'll have a lot of weather like this. Either that or rain all the time."

"Well, I wouldn't mind being alone inside with Sango, if..." but before Miroku could finish his...strange statement, a very pronounced slap was heard.

"Sango, you seem to misunderstand! By being alone with you I would be _protecting _you! My intentions are inno..." Once again, Miroku was beaten.

Sango, a very pronounced vein of annoyance protruding from her head, stepped ahead with her boomerang as if nothing had happened.

"Come on, you guys! We have to find that shard before someone...some_thing_ else does!" Sango shouted angrily. "Where do you think it is, Kagome?"

"I'm not really sure. I can feel it very strong, so it must be close. Now we just have to find it."

Shippo, who had a pouch around his neck, hopped up on Kagome's shoulder. "Seems that's not the only thing we need to find..."

"What do you mean?" asked Kagome, and immediately Shippo revealed an empty bag.

"We don't have any more medicinal herbs. Whatever's got that shard might not be to friendly...we can't just go rush in without medicine."

"My medical kits been running low..." Kagome said in a low voice "I can't believe I forgot to fill it back at the well. We're to far ahead from it now..."

"Shippo's right." said Miroku "I noticed on the trail that this area is filled with many herbs that can be used for medicine. We should backtrack and pick some up."

"I'll go with Shippo." Kagome replied willingly "It's not to far into the forest, so we'll be okay."

The others nodded their heads in agreement. Shippo hopped off Kagome's shoulder and grabbed more medical bags, and back again.

"Be back in a minute!" Kagome shouted as she ran, with a concerned glance from Inuyasha.

The trail was easy for walking or running, packed down with sturdy soil and sand. The wind was slightly breezy and the sun shone down through the leaves. As Miroku had said, not far along, there were many bushes of berries and medicinal plants.

"Look, Kagome! These are all the ones we need. And you don't even need to go back home!"

"Yeah, now lets see. Which ones do we need?"

"Hey, this root here helps to stop the bleeding. We _definantly_ need that one! And this one helps to stop itch. Well, I guess you never know if you'll meet a giant mosquito demon..."

As the two conversed, they were unaware they were being watched closely.

... Camouflaged in the trees, a creature readied for the pounce. Her muscles rippled, and she was a fearsome sight. Her target was the human female nearby. She saw it and knew she had to get it.

The female had the Shikon Shards.

She sensed them even before the human had come down the road, even before she had ran into the foliage to shield her presence. It was _them_! The shards of power and destruction.

And the creature wanted them. She knew if they were in the wrong hands, destruction was all that would follow.

_"You're mine..." _the creature growled, and began to ready for the attack. Silent and unseen, she waited for the right moment. And she found it, when the little kitsune left her side. It was time.

They would never see her coming.

... "Hey Kagome, I found some Valerian! Those should help those sleepless nights! And..." Shippo stopped suddenly. He caught a scent in the air, one that was of a stranger. Immediately he got the feeling he was being watched. He looked out through the trees, and a fair distance ahead scanned the horizon. At first there was nothing out of the ordinary. But Shippo looked again.

And he saw it.

A ferocious animal wolf or fox - Shippo could not tell which - was preparing to attack Kagome! Shippo flew off the tree branch and flew to Kagome frantically waving his arms and screeching at the top of his lungs.

"Kagome! Kagome, run away! She's gonna eat you!"

"Huh?" Kagome looked up confused, but it was to late. The wolf fox leaped from cover and was headed her way, baring her fangs and quickly gaining. Shippo and Kagome began to run as fast as they could through the trees, but the wolf fox was not lagging.

"EYAHHHHHHHHHH!" Shippo yelled "Kagoooommmeeeeeee! We're gonna be lunnnnch!"

Kagome swiped the young Kitsune into her arms and ran as fast as she could. The wolf fox snapped at their heels ferociously, and sweat rolled down Kagome's face. She could feel her hot, dangerous breath as she heaved and it struck more fear into her; the thought of those fangs in her and Shippo. Kagome swore to herself she could hear the heartbeat of the beast. She ran all over rocks and stumps, amazingly without falling. Around in a great circle, pushing off large trees and rocks to gain speed, the chase continued of life and death. No mercy was in the heart of the beast. The wolf fox began to lose distance on them and they reached deeper in the forest. But she did not get far. A rock crevice blocked her path. They were trapped!

Kagome felt the rock face frantically, looking any possible way to escape. There was none. The wolf fox cornered them. She emerged from the trees, somehow less menacing now she was revealed. They had a very clear view of her now, pure white with black tipped ears and tail. Yet a fearsome sight she was, baring her fangs at every movement. She lashed out at them distantly, to invoke fear. She paced back and forth, eyeing Kagome's neck. Suddenly it clicked.

"The Shards!" Shippo blurted "She wants the Shards!'

"Well, your not getting them!" Kagome yelled, but the creature growled more menacingly. She prepared to attack again, this time to leap dangerously, and Kagome and Shippo clang to each other, trembling with fear. The creature roared angrily, but as she did so, was thrown against a tree by an oncoming attacker in her mid leap, a red and white blur

"Inuyasha!" Kagome and Shippo shouted simultaneously

The two beasts leapt towards each other, growling and slashing. Roku ducked under Tetsaiga, as Inuyasha dodged her slashes. The beast used her physical attacks and defense as Inuyasha attempted to hit her. She leapt behind him, grabbing his back, but was thrown off immediately. She fell on her back. She leapt up again, but this time did not attack Inuyasha. She seemed to be looking at him closely rather than preparing to leap. Her face looked almost thoughtful, as if she was trying to remember something. Inuyasha attacked her again, and she swerved around and kicked him, more of trying to disarm him than hurt him. Inuyasha fell back, and leaped up again at blade point to the creature.

"Inuyasha!" shouted Kagome "Are you alright?"

At those words, the wolf fox's expression changed from deadly ferocious to utter shock, and the anger was drained from her face replaced with utter astonishment. The color was drained from her face (In any way possible in a white face...)

Inuyasha leapt towards the creature, and sheathed Tetsaiga, and lashed a great swipe with his claws at the creature, who stared at Inuyasha unbelieving.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Inuyasha growled as he held Tetsaiga "What the hell are you doing?"

"I...I...Inuyasha?" the creature said

"How do you know my name?" Inuyasha demanded "And more importantly, what the hell do you want?"

Miroku and Sango sat on Kirara, as having arrived shortly after Inuyasha to witness the fight.

"What do you want the shards for?" Sango barked

"I..." the creature said, "I was trying to get the shards. I had to get them out of the wrong hands. She could have been a demon you know, in human disguise. There are plenty of them you know. The shards are not safe. I only meant to protect the shards from the wrong!"

"How do you know who I am, whatever you are?" demanded Inuyasha

The wolf-fox looked at him, very weary now. "I know you, I know you very well..."but as she did her eyes rolled and blood trickled from her mouth. She fell over unconscious.

"Huh?" said Inuyasha "What the..."

"She's just blacked out." said Kagome, approaching from behind. "See the blood? She must have been hurt when she hit that tree. I think she was hurt before. See the shard in her side?" Kagome said, pointing to the shard in the chest of the creature. "She held out long enough. We should take her back to Kaede's village to fix her up." Kagome took the shard from her side, and as she did so she noticed it was not tainted at all.

"The shard..." Sango said, helping Inuyasha lift the wolf fox onto Kirara "It's not tainted. She truly must not be an evil demon."

Shippo examined the shard too. "Maybe she really did want them for a good reason. She's right, you know. Any demon can look human enough to pass as a good guy."

"We have to get back..." said Miroku "She looks like she'll be okay, but we can't take any chances. Her wound is bleeding much."

Inuyasha lifted Kagome onto his back and Shippo rested on her shoulder. Miroku and Sango sat upon Kirara, the wolf fox between them, and they were off. In the air Kagome and Shippo examined the shard again.

Inuyasha was silent. He wasn't speaking, as if more thoughtful than usual.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome asked gently "Are you okay? What's wrong?"

"Well..." Inuyasha said softly "I just...feel like I've met that creature before. Somehow I remember her. That's why I didn't kill her."

"Imaginary? Like a dream?" asked Shippo

"No," Inuyasha replied "Like someone you met before but don't remember. Feh, enough. We have to get to the village. We found the shard, so we're finished here."

They continued to the village together without speaking another word, each rider in thought deeply.

A/N: ... How'd you all like my teaser? Trust me…this story is GOING to get much better. I have other chapters written already, since I am a fragment writer and tend to write when the idea comes. I've got great plans for this tale. Please stay with me, fans! Thank you! R & R!


	2. True Colors

A/N: Roku here, everyone's favorite foxy wolf! Well, here is Chapter Two. Sorry for the delay, but I carefully think out a chapter for writing. I usually write from the inside out, starting from the middle and working my way. I usually write as an idea comes to me. So please, I know this chapter may not be that great, despite the work I put into it, but I have to get through all of the introductions and pre-story to get to the best parts. Please, bear with me and read. I guarantee you, you will NOT be disappointed as the story goes on. It become much more deep, intense, and I hope you loyal readers have faith in me, because you will be rewarded in Chapters 3 and 4, where I unleash the first pieces of work I am proud of. From there, things get interesting. Please read and enjoy the fruit of my labors. Please review, constructive comments please. I am working very hard on this. I hope it goes in the right direction.

CHAPTER 2 - True Colors

"She seems to be okay now." said Kaede, who had cleaned up the creature's wound, as Kagome bandaged it.

"Do you think she'll wake up soon?" Kagome asked

"Certainly. Speak of the demon, she's coming to now."

Kagome watched the creature's eyes flutter open. She moaned a little, drowsiness in her eyes. She looked at Kagome, shocked and confused. She tried to get up, tried to struggle away. But she fell weakly. Kagome and Kaede restrained her.

"No, it's okay! We're not going to hurt you! We're friends!" Kagome shouted, but the creature took to no avail.

"The shards...get them away from me! Humans get away!" she shouted, and Kagome backed away from her, and as she did, the creature calmed down, breathing heavily. She looked at them through squinted eyes.

"Please..." Kagome begged, "We mean you no harm. These shards are okay now that I have them, see?" Kagome held up the shard capsule, and as she did so, they began to glow. The creature's eyes softened a little.

"Those shards...you have purified them. You are right, I believe you." said the creature.

"See? We're not you enemies. But... who are you?"

"I...my name is...Roku." she replied

"Roku, hmm? Well, pleased to meet you, then." Kagome replied

"I'm...sorry if I scared you back there. I wasn't really going to hurt you. I was just acting. I just wanted the shards." Roku said

"The shards?" Kagome asked, "Why did you want them?"

"Well..." Roku began "It's kind of a long story. When I saw you through the forest I sensed the shards right away. I thought you might have been a demon, since they can disguise in human form. You saw the shard in my side, keeping me from collapsing. But it was also driving me crazy, the power within engulfed me, and I had to struggle to not be overcome. I have seen what the jewel can do, and if it's in the wrong hands, I don't even want to think about what'll happen."

"We're on a journey..." Kagome said, "To gather up all the shards. In fact, I was the one who shattered it accidentally. Inuyasha, Shippo, Kirara, Miroku, Sango and I have been traveling together to obtain them, fighting demons along the way."

Kagome told Roku the story of how she was the reincarnation of Kikyou, and how it was she that could sense the shards and purify them. She also told Roku about Naraku, and why they were after him on the journey. Roku nodded in approval.

Shortly after, the others came into the house to check on things. To their surprise, everything was going smoothly. A strange silence hung in the room, as the companions didn't really know what to say around the new stranger. However, it did not last long, as Roku even stood up and walked outside (With a bit of stumbling, of course!) The others followed her out once more after Kagome explained to them what had happened. Kagome however was still in deep thought about all that had happened that day, and what was happening now.

Kagome was amazed at how gentle Roku was. The creature that she conversed with was nothing like the monster that had attacked her. Roku seemed trustworthy, and Kagome felt it strongly. Inside the house, Inuyasha walked up to her, and his eyes looked as if they were remembering a distance voice.

"Kagome... I know her name..." he said mysteriously, as if he himself did not believe it.

"Yeah, she told me. It's Roku."

"No..." said Inuyasha "She didn't tell me. I just _knew_."

"Why?" asked Kagome "Do you know her or something?"

"I...don't know. I can't remember, but I kind of do. Confusing, feh."

Kagome and Inuyasha both walked outside. Sango and Miroku sat a distance away, watching Roku. She sat with her back turned to them, in deep thought. She turned to Inuyasha as he emerged.

"You've grown well, Inuyasha. I am happy with what I see. But I'm not surprised you don't remember me."

"Roku. You know me, don't you?" Inuyasha asked

"Yes..." she said "More than you can know. Stories from the past you do not understand yet, but soon will."

"How?" he asked "What are you pulling? Spit it out!" he demanded

"Inuyasha!" Kagome stopped him

"No!" he said back "I have to know. Tell me. Tell me how you know me, and why you're here."

"I can't tell you..." said Roku "Not yet."

"What do you me..." but Inuyasha was cut off again.

"Inuyasha, she's really weak..." Kagome said "Just let her alone."

Inuyasha glared at Roku, and with a loud "Feh", went back into Kaede's house, but popped his head out again.

"We can't stay here long. If she had a shard, another demon around there probably will. Can't take any chances."

Although Kagome was a little mad at Inuyasha's impatience, she had to admit he _was _right. Nine times out of ten, when you found one jewel shard, another wasn't far off. Kagome asked them to try and make Inuyasha relax a little. They followed him, hopefully to calm his spirits with some food!

Kagome sighed a little. She turned to Roku. "I'm really sorry. Don't mind him..." she explained "He's like this sometimes. He really is a nice guy!"

Roku smiled softly, her eyes still distant and sad, and turned away. She almost seemed struggling to find the words she needed to say. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure..." said Kagome "Anything."

"Well...you see...the thing is...I don't really know how to explain this to you...but I want to join you all on your journey. I want to help Inuyasha, all of you, to get the shards back."

"Why?" Kagome asked

"I have my reasons." Roku stated in a final fact way. There was nothing more to be said.

Kagome walked back into the house, where the whole gang was conversing and sharing some tea that Kaede had made previously.

"Guys..." Kagome said a little nervous, as her companions looked up to her questioningly "Roku asked if she could join us."

"No!" came a shout from Inuyasha "NO way! Kagome, we don't even know her! We can't _trust _her!"

The group looked to each other with the same doubt as Kagome. How could they trust her if she wanted the jewel? That was enough reason to turn even the kindest soul away.

"He does have a point. Why does she want to come for the shards anyway? And how does she know Inuyasha?" asked Miroku

"I don't know. I can't figure it out, and Roku's not talking. But I sense there is good in her, and we can't just leave her all alone and wounded. She seems kind hearted deep down."

"Yeah, and then she'll turn on us and steal the shards!" Inuyasha barked "We can't trust anyone anymore, not during these times."

Kagome looked down, just as puzzled as the others "Well, she had good intentions for taking the jewel away. She thought I was a demon, you know? She obviously knows the power the jewel holds, and I think if she did have evil intentions, that shard she had with her would have been tainted. There was nothing impure about it at all."

"But we still can't tell what she's gonna do." Shippo piped in "Don't get me wrong, but wolves aren't exactly the most..."

"Trustworthy of demons..." Sango finished

"Ah yes..." Kaede said, as she entered the house with a basket of vegetables, and the floorboards squeaking as she walked. She sat down between Inuyasha and Miroku, and began to prepare some vegetables to be cooked into a stew "But then again, she is half fox demon. Young Shippo here is a fox demon, and you obviously trust him, do ye not? Perhaps Roku can be trusted, but then again, perhaps not. Ye all should figure out your own answers. Get to know her and see."

"Keh..." Inuyasha pouted "The last thing I need to know is how we'll get turned on by a mangy wolf. If you ask me, we should just leave without her. Even if she _did _have the right reasons for wanting the jewel, we have no proof that she's not cheating us. A trait that foxes seem to have mastered quite well..."

"Hey, since when have I cheated you?" Shippo demanded, a frown on his kitsune face "Foxes aren't the tricksters made out to be, you know! Illusion is just to make your enemy afraid!"

"More like amused..." Inuyasha laughed

"Well you can just shove..."

Kagome clapped her hands quite loudly "Come on, you guys! We have to find out what we're going to do here, or we _will _waste time!"

The circle sat in silence once again, confused as much, if not more, than before. Inuyasha laid back on the ground.

"Well..." said Miroku "I think I agree with Lady Kaede. If we can trust her, she would be of valuable assistance on our journey. An extra fighter could give us an advantage, if she was on our side."

Sango nodded in approval "Let's see what we can learn about her. Watch her closely, make sure she doesn't do anything suspicious."

"Well, I just hope we don't waste time. We can't forget our objectives first. A mangy demon is not our first concern." Inuyasha said "The last thing we need is an extra burden on everything else."

"But Inuyasha, you can't deny Miroku's point. An extra companion would help us tons." Kagome replied "We need all the help we can get."

Inuyasha, finally realizing the vote was outnumbered, sighed heavily

"Well, tonight and tomorrow morning. But that's it. We can't lag behind, or we'll lose Naraku's trail." And all was silent as the group prepared to eat the steaming soup Kaede had been preparing as they conversed.

Finally, a treaty was made. Tonight and the morning, and then they would see if Roku would show her true colors.

As the sun set onto the horizon and darkness stretched its hands across the land, so did the suspicions upon Roku.

Her "trial" was beginning, and although Roku did not know it, she was being watched at all times by many eyes. Roku still did not trust these people. How could she? But deep down she sensed a goodness in them all she had not seen in any other for _years..._oh yes, years and years. They flew by so quickly, yet Roku looked unchanged in her appearance.

As the fires began outside and in, to cook late meals and serve hot tea, Roku curled up by a distant tree by Kaede's house. She did not wander far. Alone and wounded was not a position she desired. Besides, these people rescued her, so she owed them _t**hat**,_ anyway.

The sun was almost set over the horizon, and Roku watched the last glimpse of light disappear below the horizon as the moon began to rise and stars dotted the sky. Her eyes followed the stars, recognizing familiar constellations from her past. Oh, how stars can bring back memories to you.

Kagome watched Roku through the door crack. She had been there for some time, observing Roku. She didn't _seem _suspicious. In fact, she seemed very kind and gentle, so unlike the creature had seen. Roku observed everything around her, always keen to every noise, every little sight of front of her. Kagome even thought her large ears were cute. So much like Inuyasha's, only quadrupled in size.

Kagome had been on watch duty long enough. She was about to turn in for the night when she heard a screeching sound, almost like an animal was dying. She flew her sight back to Roku, and saw an almost horrifying sight.

A tiny baby bird was collapsed on her forehead. It must have fell from the canopy above. After all, it _was _spring, and the time for all birds to lay eggs.

_"Oh no..." _was Kagome's first thought _"I can't watch this...she's gonna kill it..."_ Kagome almost leaped out of the house to try and save the tiny infant bird, featherless and scrawny, but she never got the chance.

Roku noticed the tiny baby immediately. She rolled him down onto her muzzle, and then, stretching as far as she could, stood up on her hind legs, balancing the bird on her nose, and on the first branch up, set it back into the nest. Then, Roku lay back down, a smile on her face, and continued staring intensely at the fiery flames.

Kagome almost was in disbelief. Roku had fangs, claws, was bigger than a fox, yet she spared the life of a baby she could have easily done otherwise. Only a kind soul, like herself, or Sango, would ever do a thing such as that.

That was it. Kagome was sure of it now Roku was trustworthy. She just hoped her friends would believe it, too. But the time for thinking was cut short. Kagome felt the tired bags under her eyes, and knew she needed her rest. She walked back to her bed on the floor, next to Inuyasha, who was on the other side of the doorway, sitting up in his sleeping position. Kagome curled up near him. It felt so safe, so warm, to be by his side. His earthly scent filled her nostrils, and she felt content and at ease, and soon was fast asleep.


	3. A Journey Begins

A/N: Roku here! Well, here is Chapter 3. I hope you all enjoy this. I have been working very hard, so please read and review. Next chapter is when I start getting into the real plot of my fiction: Roku's tale. That is what this story is about. So please, read my hard work and enjoy. Thank you, readers, for without you there would be no reason for me to write. Thankyou. Note the descriptions about Roku and the dialogue she has. They are clues to future events, so make sure to take note of them.

…………….

Chapter 3...

The early morning light came down in waves through the trees. The early morning cool of spring set a gentle dew upon all there was. The sun was rising steadily in the east, and a new day was dawning as birds chirped their cheerful springtime songs. Songs of new life and new beginnings.

Inside the house, everyone was still sound asleep. It was still quite early, and even Inuyasha was still sleeping soundly. However, Kirara, who had just opened her eyes, stood up, stretched in a very cat-like way, extending her claws and reaching her arms. She hopped over the sleeping gang, quiet as a mouse. However, it could not evade the eyes of Shippo, who too, was awakened by the light of the new day.

"Huh?" he whispered, as he saw Kirara hopping away "I wonder where she's going. Kirara, Kiara! Where are you going?" Shippo bounced up, and hopped over the sleeping people underneath, with a slurred "Oof...oh Sango, you know I _like _that...yeahhmmbsmb..." from Miroku (¬.¬ )

As Shippo approached the door, he creaked in open quietly and peered out. "Kirara? Kirara, where are you?" He whispered into the morning light.

There she was! Right in front of him! She was trotting with her two tails in the air, to a grove of trees a small distance ahead of her. Shippo looked out into the trees and saw something very out of place. White? How could there be white in spring?

Then he remembered about Roku, and clearly that was the target of Kirara. The sun was visible over the hills in the distance now, a very beautiful view indeed.

Kirara walked right up to Roku, and mewed quietly. Roku smiled warmly at her, and Kirara did not even growl.

Shippo watched as Kirara climbed on Roku's back, and onto her head, resting on her small tuft of hair, and together they watched the sunrise. Roku's large ears flopped in the wind, and all was peaceful.

_"Since Kirara went to her..." _Shippo thought _"She must have a kind heart."_

Shippo ventured back inside, where now Kagome was awakened. She yawned, and then stretched. "Hey Shippo..." she said kindly, a bit groggy, yawning again "Good morning!"

"Good morning, Kagome!" he replied happily

"Good morning!" Sango spoke up, as Miroku and Inuyasha began to awaken next. They all stretched, yawned, and began to prepare for the new day. Kaede prepared them some bread and tea for breakfast, and soon after their light meal it was time to decide of the fate of Roku.

"I think she should come with us." Kagome said "She seems kind hearted. I know she'll be a good companion."

"Me too!" Shippo agreed "I know she's good, cause Kirara went to her. Kirara knows best!"

Sango pondered for a time too, rubbing her chin "Shippo's right. Kirara knows a kind heart when she sees one, and I believe Kagome regardless. So I think my vote is yes."

"I say yes too," said Miroku "If Roku really planned to do wrong to us, she would have before. I mean, when she 'attacked' Kagome, she was merely intimidating her. I think she should join us."

And as usual, ever, someone in the group opposed to every single idea thrown out.

"We can't keep an eye on some mangy wolf!" Inuyasha barked "She's injured, she's weak, and she'll slow us down. I don't trust her."

But then again, Inuyasha didn't trust anyone, exception of his friends.

"But Inuyasha..." Miroku tried

'We don't know anything about her! What if she turns on us when we _least _expect it? You never know. Naraku could have sent her. Or even she could do enough harm on her own. One thing is certain, and we _can't _afford to lose what we have now if we're ever gonna get that jewel back together."

'But Inuyasha, we can't just leave her all alone." she pleaded "I know there is good in her! Please, Inuyasha! Trust me!"

Inuyasha bit his lip at that. Although he didn't show it, deep down he trusted Kagome more than anyone else. If Kagome believed it, Inuyasha could think of no reason to think otherwise. Kagome never knew how much Inuyasha placed his trust in her, how much he believed in her. But he never showed any waver. He simply sighed, in an annoyed way.

"Fine. We'll try it. But we can't lag. And one wrong move and she's gone. That's it. I don't trust her, and I have a good reason. Now we have to get going, we still have a chance at finding another shard in the area we found Roku."

Kagome smiled and inside thought _"Thank you, Inuyasha." _

Sure, he _could _be difficult, but nonetheless, Kagome knew he couldn't leave an injured creature behind, even if there was no trust. He always acted like a tough guy, but deep down he was a soft slush puppy. As the rest of the group ventured out the door, Kagome gathered the supplies and placed them into her oversized yellow backpack and then joined her friends under the new day's sun. Not a cloud was in the sky, and it was a perfect day to travel.

Kagome walked up to Roku, who was laying as she had all night, in the same place, not moving. She seemed exhausted.

"Hey," she said as Roku looked up to her, her tuft of hair and large ears looking cuter than ever. "We all decided we would be happy to have you join us."

Roku smiled "Really? Thank you, thank you so much!" She hopped up, wincing a little with pain. Inuyasha yelled back at her.

"But you don't slow us down! If you lag behind, we're leaving you, got it?"

Roku sighed a little, and if Kagome hadn't known better, she could have sworn there was a flash of sadness in Roku's eyes. But it was gone, and Roku looked up, a little less cheerful than before.

"I promise. I won't slow you down. You can count on me."

Inuyasha looked a little more convinced, and softened his expression to Roku. He really wasn't being _mean_...just his usual stubborn self. He was always like this, Kagome had said. She couldn't be closer to the truth. Roku looked down, with the same look in her face as if she was remembering something, but it was quickly gone as well when Miroku raised his voice.

"I'm sorry to push you, Kagome, but we'd better move out now. The day's going to be quite hot (mmm, yes...) and we'd be best off getting as far ahead as possible before the heat of the day."

Agreeing on this arrangement, the group began to travel down the trail, Roku in the back, walking as fast as she could while limping. The day was a jewel, and the trail was perfect, sturdy and free of "traffic" as Kagome liked to call it sometimes, although the others never knew the full meaning of "cars" or "pavement." Whenever she tried to describe a car, the best she could get her friends to picture was a large metal box without a horse that moved by magic. However, the group talked casually, as they made progress pass the forest Roku had been found, but still no signs of any other shards, only traces that have been there. Sango suggested a more northward move, since this was the season most demons went in that direction due to the summer heat. Even Inuyasha was in good spirits, despite his nerved glances at Roku.

She was silent mostly, not making a sound, only observing the group in front of her, Inuyasha in particular, and trying her best to deliberately stay out of everyone's way. Inuyasha tried to ignore her. For one thing, she had almost "killed" Kagome, and that was enough reason to ignore her. HIS Kagome, the Kagome he protected with his life. Even though Roku had no plan to hurt Kagome or Shippo, Inuyasha could not shake off that feeling he felt when he saw the monster about to attack Kagome. He remembered the feeling of his heart jumping into his throat, of how with no second thought, leaped into the action. Inuyasha despised any feelings that Kagome was threatened. As usual, he never showed it, as it was his duty to protect his friends, but deep down, whenever Kagome was in danger, he was terrified beyond any conception of fear or anxiety. Kagome was his world. Someday, somehow, he would reveal his feelings. But this was not the time or place to discuss this issue, at the very least, for there were more important things on the agenda.

When it was time to stop for a mid day lunch, Shippo located a nice patch of field by an old farmer's house. It was pleasant with a breathtaking view of the mountainous vallies of the northern lands, and along with the unusually nice weather and lack of flesh eating demons, life was actually enjoyable for once. Kagome had packed a delicious meal, and prepared it. Ramen noodles, with some vegetables and thin bread from the village made an excellent meal. The group sat in their usual circle, Inuyasha gobbling with his chopsticks as he always did, and finishing in 5 minutes as he always did, and eating the leftovers, as he always did. Which was exactly why Kagome always packed 10 servings when she was only feeding 5.

Out of the corner of her eye, as she ate her steamy noodles, she noticed Roku was alone on a hill crest beneath a tree. Why was she all alone? Kagome was sure Inuyasha had something to do with it. And she wasn't to far off either.

Throughout the day a glaring look of "You-come-near-her-and-you-die" had obviously taught Roku to stay away. And it really never mattered; she would have not ventured close regardless.

Kagome wished to make Roku feel welcome, but she knew it was useless. She felt unwelcome, despite she was traveling with them, and until she really proved herself otherwise, no one would ever believe her. But Roku did not seem in any pain, so Kagome kept her distance, as everyone else. But Kagome could not deny what she saw in Roku.

_"She seems so...sad." _she thought _"Something must have happened to her really bad a long time ago. But then again, almost everyone you meet during these times have tears staining their hearts." _Kagome wanted to talk to Roku, but decided to better wait for that.

"Wow, Kagome! These noodles are really tasty! I love it when you bring us food from home. It's the best!" Shippo smiled. He turned around as a breeze started to flutter, noticing a butterfly of many colors. He followed it's shimmering wings until his eyes came to another sight. Roku, all alone. Shippo had actually forgotten about her there. She was so quiet, one never really noticed her whatsoever. She hadn't gotten to eat, and it was really better this distance was between them, but Shippo couldn't get the sadness out of his heart Roku wouldn't get to enjoy the food as they had. It just didn't seem fair, since she was part of the group just as much as Miroku or Kirara. He tried to rub it off, and then, noticing a bowl of food Inuyasha had ignored, he picked it up and trotted over to the lonely Roku on the hill crest. He eagerly perked up his voice.

"Hey there, you should really try some of this. Kagome made it. It's _delicious_, despite what you might hear from Inuyasha. He just doesn't like vegetables that much."

Roku turned around, the same look of remembrance in her eyes. She grinned at the young kitsune.

"Thanks...I appreciate it." Roku sniffed the bowl, began to lap, but immediately jumped back with a highly pronounced "YIIIPPPP!"

Shippo and Roku laughed out loud, as Roku fanned her tongue with her paws.

"Oops! Sorry about that! Forgot to tell you it was hot...just blow on it, like this..." Shippo explained, demonstrating a technique to waft the steam from the noodles "Then you just eat the noodles, and drink the water stuff."

Roku tried again, this time successful, and ate moderately. But she enjoyed it, and when she was done, licked her lips now soaked with ramen broth.

"That was...delicious! I never had anything like that before." Roku smiled

"Really? You've got no idea what you're missing! Ramen is the best thing Kagome's ever given us from her time, even more than chocolate!"

"Ra...men?" Roku said as she titled her head "Choc...o...late?"

"Yeah," Shippo explained "You see, Kagome has different foods in her time than here. So it's great to have something different. It's tasty too, and doesn't take that long. Ramen is what you ate. And there are all _kinds _of tasty noodles Kagome brings us! Of course, _my _favorite..."

Wolffox and Kitsune chatted on the hill, breaking the first ice between the stranger and her new group of friends. Roku still seemed a little shy though, but Kagome, Miroku, and Sango watched from afar as Shippo opened the "first barriers" of a new friendship.

"Seems like Shippo got her to talk. I'm impressed." said Miroku

"He's not shy. Guess he doesn't understand the boundaries between us. But you know, I kind of wish we could have talked more, but I just didn't know what to say." replied Sango

"I know...he's gotten her to talk more than all of us put together." Kagome chuckled "I guess he can use that Kitsune charm to help us out!"

"At least he does something useful..." Inuyasha said sarcastically "But that don't mean we welcome her with open arms."

The group sighed. Stubborn, oy. As the group watched the communication session in the distance, they couldn't help but smile as Roku's head titled with each new statement Shippo made.

"And I think...what was it again? Oh yeah, Macaroni and Cheese...now _that's _a great food Kagome's got!"

"Mac...a...ra...roni?"

"Yeah, kinda like ramen only this shape..." Shippo said, flexing his finger into an elbow shape.

"Cheeeeeeesssse?"

"You never had _cheese?_ Boy, you've got a lot to learn. It's like...well...kind of like milk, only hundreds of times better, and you can melt it too. It's really good on anything, especially bread and meat."

"Choco...lateie?"

"Oh yeah, that's like a um...sweet brick that you eat. It's really tasty, but it sometimes makes your teeth all funny and you have to wash them with a brush. But that's okay."

Roku saw something sticking out of Shippo's pocket, and pointing to it said "Choco...late? Is that Choco...late?"

Shippo laughed out loud "No no no! That's not chocolate! That's taffy candy. It's really chewy and stretchy. Kagome gave me this, too. I keep it in my secret stash so Inuyasha can't get it. But I'll let you try some. Here!" He smiled, holding up a piece of purple taffy, which Roku took in her jaws gently and began to chew.

What a sight that was! Roku looked confused as she chewed and chewed, the taffy stretching on her paws as she touched her mouth, between her teeth and toungue. It took her a while to figure out how to get it all in her mouth, and still chew it up enough to swallow. Shippo laughed the whole time, explaining how one time he wanted to put some in Inuyasha's hair but thought better of it.

"Tastes good huh?" Shippo asked

"Like apples, only...like a berry."

"Yeah, that's the flavor."

"But how can they fit an apple into that?"

"It's flavored!"

"But I don't see any apples."

"They make it taste that way. There's no apples, they put it in and mix it up."

"I never ate an apple like _that _before..." Roku smiled

Soon, it was time to leave again. "Hey you guys, it's time to get going!" Kagome called out, and before long, they were on the move again. This time, Shippo and Roku walked together, not speaking but simply keeping each other company.

Sango was in the back of the group as well, interested in Roku as she watched her closely. Roku was silent again, but she seemed to have less of a limp, meaning she was recovering slowly. As they trotted along, Roku tripped and fell down, and immediately out of instinct, Sango helped her up. It was then for the first time she noticed a long scar stretching across Roku's muzzle diagonally beneath her eyes. Her white tuft had been covering as well as her face fur. It was a very deep, nasty looking battle wound. But her attention was altered back to her side. The large wound was bleeding through the bandages, and Sango almost swore that it was not as nearly bad when they had first found Roku.

"Dammit..." Roku cursed to herself "It just won't heal..."

"Hey, how'd you get that anyway?" Sango questioned

Roku's eyes looked down, an then away "It's an old complaint...that acts out now and again."

Sango looked concerned "Old? But it's bleeding right now. I don't understand."

Roku looked at Sango, some pain on her face. "It's poisoned. It will never heal up. It's a curse."

Sango didn't really know what to say. For her whole life she had slayed demons, but never had she actually seen anything like this.

"I'm sorry...is there any way at all?"

"No...it'll heal eventually, but from time to time it opens up again. Almost as if it's got a mind of it's own."

Sango would be sure to ask Kagome to help bandage it again, but she couldn't shake off the idea of a demon with a power to create wounds that would never heal. Even a simple wound could kill...even if it healed up, the wound would re-open again. Sango felt sorry for Roku deeply, and felt a little more trustworthy of her.

"You know, Miroku has a similar wound. His hand is cursed with a wind hole from his grandfather. He has no control over it, except for his beads, which keep it sealed. It's not a wound that can heal on it's own."

Roku pondered for a minute "Wind hole? You say he had it from his grandfather?"

Sango nodded "I feel sorry for him, because he's so afraid it will kill him as it did his father. Even though he can't keep his hands to himself...I wish we could help him. But then again, we all have our issues with Naraku."

"Who is Naraku?" Roku asked questioningly

At that moment, Kagome had hung back a little to talk with Roku as well. Together, she and Sango explained the whole situation of Naraku: the scheme between Inuyasha, Miroku's hand, Sango and Kohaku, and as much information regarding Naraku as possible. He was a malicious, ferocious foe that had to be stopped at any cost.

"I see." said Roku

"What a shame is," Sango said "Is he used to be a mere human, a man named Onigumo."

Roku's eyes looked strangely at Sango at these words "Onigumo, you say?"

"Yeah. He gave his body up to demons, so that is why he is no longer human, if he was even considered human before..."

"He's a traitor. A murderer..." Sango said "He uses the sorrow and fear of people against them. He's as low as anything."

After the long conversation, the group had reached the edge of a mountain ranged, towered by gigantic, majestic pines and conifers. It was an very inspiring sight. Together, the group ventured up a moderate trail, laid with pine needles and fallen leaves. The sunset in the distance was a glowing red hue, and the group decided to set camp in a tree grove halfway up a mountain. And for certain, a good find would lay beyond the mountains, Kagome was sure of it. It was going to be a long trip. But the group was well prepared; they were ready for anything.

When the sun was a mere slim light in the distance, Inuyasha began to help Miroku and Kagome make a fire, and together they made a delicious pasta/rice meal (Rice-A-Roni author sings The San Fransisco Treat!), as Kagome liked to call it, and it was deliciously cheesy. Along with some vegetables and bread, everyone was satisfied. For once Inuyasha actually mentioned how delicious it was, for even he could not deny that in the mountains, it was nice to have good food. Roku ate alone, as usual, and seemed to be off in thought mostly. As the sun was almost gone, and the stars began to appear, everyone settled down around the fire, chatting or just relaxing. Kagome and Inuyasha stayed close, then Shippo, Sango, Miroku, and Kirara, who was pleasantly purring. Until the moment was altered by a guest.

Roku appeared out of nowhere, her footsteps quiet and soft. It was then all of a sudden, and for the first time, she spoke to them as a group.

"I think it's time now I make talk with you." she said

The gang simply looked at her, unbelieving. Her wound was bandaged again, and she stood in the fire light, surrounded by crackling embers. She looked very much like an enigma.

"You want to talk with us?" Inuyasha asked "About what?"

She looked at him, her eyes confident and determined of her decision she was about to make.

"I want to share with you my story. I believe now that you all wish no harm upon me. I do not know you, but I feel that if Inuyasha is with you, I _can _trust you." Roku looked at them all, her eyes staring off, thinking deeply.

"Your story?" asked Kagome "About yourself?"

Roku looked up as she spoke "I ask you all to listen with open minds to what I have to say, for as this may be my story, it is also of another. And you shall see, and you shall know. For there are many things I have to tell you, so please open your minds to the possibilities."

"We'd be honored if you told us your story." Miroku said, although Inuyasha mumbled annoyed, "Can't even get some sleep...mumble..."

But Roku stared him down. "You'd do yourself a favor by giving up an hours sleep to hear what I have to say. For even though this is my story, it is your story too. I ask you to listen, before it is to late. This is my last chance."

Everyone looked at Roku in a new light. She sat down, took a deep breath. The wind became gentle, the stars came out one by one, and the group of friends lay in a circle around a wolf/fox, the fire crackling it's glowing embers.

And Roku began...70 years ago, on a summer's night...


	4. Fate is Sealed

A/N: Well, It's Roku again. And for me, this is a great day, for I have the first real chapter of this story; Roku's tale. Please read, and listen, and review for me. This is where I let it all go, writing from instinct, ideas from sleep, and pure inspiration. I really want this story to mean something and have a message. So please enjoy this latest chapter, and it all gets better from here. I apologize you had to go through 3 chapters to get here, but I felt if I planted roots first the reader could grow. I did not want to rush into Roku's tale right away. I tried that. It didn't work, as she is a character not lenient on trust. So here it is. Thank you, readers, so here is begins.

Note: The "Dance of the Fox" was created by me. Two Foxes is my Sioux name. Thanks.

CHAPTER 4

"_My fur is red as a fiery blaze_

_My spirit is free as the western wind_

_I see but am unseen_

_Clever and unique_

_I see what is unseen_

_I know the path for me_

_Misunderstood but always free_

_My fur is red and I am proud of it_

_My fur is red and I will die with it_

_I am Ongwe Ias_

_I am Fox." -_Two Foxes, Dance of the Fox

…………

Years ago, when the time of war was strong, life for human and demon alike was full of terror, pain, unhappiness, and woe. Thousands lost their lives against the odds from demons and monsters hungry for blood. In a land where demons reigned a terrible hand over the land, it was hard to find peace during the war times. No matter where one went, danger loomed in the air like a strong scent of death. It was hard to find even a moment of happiness or purity, even simply care free time with no worries. Always on guard, the people had to rely on themselves to survive. Even kind demons could not escape the reign of those who were power hungry, destroying everything in sight for a little more strength. And the Shikon No Tama, or "Jewel of Four Souls" was the most sought after prize. All humans knew this was a treasure that _must _be kept out of the hands of demons.

Fire raged through the small town of Jujintsu. Blood was splattered everywhere as huts and homes were engulfed in flames. A simple farming town of monks and families now was a scene of a terrible massacre. The scent of death hung in the air heavily, and not a sign of life or green was visible any more. Those who had not been killed were already attempting to flee the horrible destruction. Villagers ran as fast as they could, away from the flames, but found themselves trapped on their own escape routes.

Demons had come to the village. It was the nightmare of the villagers, a nightmare that each day they prayed would never occur. Time spent at the temples praying for mercy seemed to be worth nothing, prayers in vain. Why had the gods wished this disaster upon them? Innocent families lay slain at their doorsteps, never even seeing the attacking demons before their lives were taken.

_"WHERE IS IT?" _the demons demanded, piercing innocent villagers with their claws and singing them with fire _"YOU KNOW WHERE IT IS! WE KNOW YOU HAVE IT, AND WE WILL FIND IT!"_

The Jewel of Four Souls was a prize any power hungry demon would pursue without mercy.

Gigantic dragon demons, blasting fire in all directions halted the villagers and killed them with a single blast of flame. There was no mercy. In the part of town that the fire had caught on last, a small hut was already beginning to be engulfed in fiery red flames. Two men were dragging a kicking and screaming women, with jet black long hair wearing a fire red kimono. She was screaming her lungs out, tears streaming down her face. her home was nearly totally enflamed.

"Go back!" she yelled desperately "Please, don't leave my son! Take him instead! My son!"

The men ignored her, dragging her struggling body

"You bastards, don't you realize my son's in there! Let me back! For the sake of the gods, what is wrong with you!"

"It's to late! He's good as dead now!" one of the men coughed, as smoke began to surround them in a thick fog.

"There's still time!" The woman screeched. She kicked and screamed, but the men just held her without mercy.

"You can't! It's to late! We have to get out of here!" The men dragged the poor woman away as she cried without avail. She struggled as she never had before. She lashed out as hard as she could, shaking and screeching so loudly it could be heard for miles.

"My son, oh gods, please! My son! My son!" she cried "NO! NO! DON'T DO THIS! HAVE YOU NO MERCY? OH GODS PLEASE!" she cried, and as they dragged her through the village, it was clear that there were no other survivors. The dragons were already beginning to destroy the forest: the only escape route left.

"Hurry!" the men yelled to a group of people escaping ahead "In a minute they'll be no way out!"

The heat was unbearable. The foliage had already set aflame immediately, as flames danced from tree to tree. The men had to use every ounce of strength they had to restrain the wailing woman as well as run through the flames.

One of the men whispered to himself silently _"Poor little half breed..._ thinking of the baby left behind_ "perhaps this fate suits him than the life he would face."_

"MY SON!" shouted the woman in a last desperate cry, as the escapees finally made it through the blazing inferno "INUYASHA! _INUYASHAAAAAAAAA!_" Her desperate pleas echoed throughout the land, the tears of a mother staining the land forever.

And luckily, there was someone nearby to hear it.

As usual, Roku was traveling alone. The night was clear and the heavens were decorated brilliantly with stars. The moon was a perfect quarter crescent. The night was pristine.

Roku had always learned to travel by night. There was less change you would see humans, and more importantly, the less chance they would see _you_. Sure, a wandering life had its downsides. Hiding often and traveling in darkness, always on the lookout for enemies. Yet Roku enjoyed the daytime sun in the deep forest. At least she was away from humans. Fearing them was a natural instinct. Alone on your own, you looked out for yourself and no one else. You fought only when you had to, and it was very peaceful indeed. Peace was a good thing, in Roku's eyes.

Lifting her head up to the heavens, her thick hair waving by her eyes and her large fox-ears fluttering in the wind, the best part about being part fox was the ears. They kept her warm in the winter and cool in the summer (Not to mention cute, too!), alert to the slightest sounds in the wind. Roku breathed deeply. What a wonderful night. Scenting the winds each night helped her to tell where she was and where she was going, and what was happening. She breathed again, taking in all the scents around her. But this time it was unusual. A scent...what was this? A scent of a tree dying, a scent of heat and warmth. The scent of dryness and sand.

Roku recognized this smell. Fire. Humans used it to keep warm and cook their food. Long ago her family had it sometimes, to keep the sick and weak warm through the winter. But it had been a while since Roku smelled it this closely or strong before. She smelled it quite often in the wind, usually by a road or town, but for some reason beyond her knowing, this time it seemed..._wrong_.

Not the wrong you think or between the right thing to do and the bad thing to do. Not the feeling of stealing or hurting others, just plain and simple. _WRONG._

Roku had learned to always trust her instincts. And she most certainly did now. What was happening? Fire was common, so why did this smell so strange and dangerous? Sure, it could be dangerous. But what did it have to do with her? It was the humans' problem. It had nothing to do with her, so why should she care? She never bothered with them, they never bothered her (More like never _saw _her.)

But Roku couldn't just turn away. The thought kept hovering until eventually she gave in to herself.

"Okay Okay..." she said to herself. Talking alone was common for her. "I'll just go down for a minute and see what's going on...then I'll leave."

_"I hope I'm not getting myself into something really bad..." _Roku thought as she began to trail. She followed the scent in the air, and surprisingly it did not take long to reach the village. Yet she saw the smoke even before she got there, the deadly read glow of coals and flames. She knew the village was gone even before she got there. Roku emerged from the trees, and literally screamed in horror.

The massacre in front of her was gruesome. Dead bodies lay on top of one another, half burned, others so disfigured and melted they did not even look like humans. Blood was caked and burning with a disgusting mix of rotting flesh and burning bodies, and Roku's sensitive nose almost caused her to vomit and gag. The buildings were completely destroyed, and from the scent of it she knew the massacre was done by other demons.

_"Who could do such a thing..._" she thought in disbelief _"Even to humans..._

Roku couldn't bare to look anymore. Although she hated humans, she still felt mercy for them. Roku did not wish to take life or see life taken, not even _humans. _Roku knew she had to leave. She couldn't bare it any longer. She wanted to run to her home, to the forest, and leave this horrible sight behind her and forget it. And she would have too, if it wasn't for an interruption.

It was faint at first, and Roku wasn't even sure she had heard it all. A figment of her imagination caused by the crackling and hissing flames. But she pricked her ears up and stood on her paw toes. Her tail stood straight out and she listened.

And she heard it.

Crying. Crying of a human child. There was one more survivor in this place. A baby was alive. Roku felt panic inside her heart. What was she going to do? Leave it of course!

_"It's just a human. Why should I care what happens to it? Look at what humans have done to ME! Just saving me some trouble. He's going to die regardless. It doesn't matter." _she thought to herself.

She was going to leave, but she couldn't. Her kind heart overtook her, and in winced in pain at the thought of an innocent baby dying in the heated inferno. But it didn't matter! It was just a measly human.

But then Roku's eyes widened as a building nearby collapsed in a pile of dancing burning embers, and huge flames that shot up into the trees above, crackling and burning and roaring menacingly. The baby's crying became even louder at the frightening sounds. Roku's heart was filled with fear. Her kind heart opened from the terror in her eyes.

_"But it does matter!" _she yelled in her mind, and in a split second leaped into the blazing town, dodging dancing hands of flame that lashed from all sides. She perked her ears, following the crying. She nearly collapsed from the heat and the crying baby. But it seemed to grow more distant, and in a panic Roku strained, leaping over flaming piles of dead bodies and wood until she reached a far side of town where the flames were less intense. She saw where the cries were coming from. The house was almost ready to cave in, and in a flash of instinct and no second thoughts, Roku ran inside. And it took her breath away

Oh the gods, the heat! It was completely unbearable! Roku nearly gagged with pain as the heart surrounded her, but this had to be the right house! Each step she made, the crying became louder. She could see nothing, even with her sensitive and acute vision. She relied on her scent and ears to guide her.

_"What the HELL am I doing?" _she screamed to herself mentally as a bunch of burning material nearly fell on her from above _"I'm gonna get myself KILLED!"_ But Roku was already in, and there was no point in turning back now.

She was in the main room, and she heard the crying intensely now. She opened her eyes, tearing up due to the unbearable amount of smoke, and saw a bare outline of the crying child. But a piece of collapsed ceiling fell down straight in front of her, scattering dancing embers as Roku leaped back in terror. The heat almost made her want to die of fear. She almost could not contain her screams of pain. The baby stopped crying.

_"Oh gods..." _Roku prayed silently _"Please let him be alive..." _She leaped over the burning embers and nearly scalded her paws on burning floor. But it was worth it. The child was right in front of her!

He wasn't moving! Was he dead? Roku sniffed him. No, he was only stunned, most likely from smoke inhalation. She had to get him out! She grabbed the ruff of clothes and skin on his back and leaped through the flames, avoiding embers and heat, and with one last great jump, threw herself out the doorway just in time. Barely after she made the leap of faith, the house crumbled to the ground. Roku reared and backed up, her eyes wide with terror. She leaped over piles of burning debree, and bolted into the forests as the fire danced closer and closer, but unmatched to Roku's speed. Demon and child ran off into the night as the village burned into oblivion.

A/N: Getting interesting, eh? More to come soon! Wish me luck, thank you all!


	5. Dawning Breaks

A/N: Hey everyone! It's Roku again! Sorry for the long awaited chapter. I have been very busy with school finals and all. But I hope you enjoy this next chapter. I plan on linking things together as the story goes. Again, I do not own Inuyasha. Roku is MY character and is ©Roku (That's me!)

Thank you to the kind reviews. Your support enables me to have the will to write. Your comments mean so much to me. Thank You so much.

Now I'll shut up….

……………….

CHAPTER 5 – DAWNING BREAKS 

Dawn was near. The sun kissed the leaves as the new day was born. The misty clouds surrounding the mountains shimmered in the sunlight. Smoke arose into the sky in the far off distant mountains where the village still burned silently. The village was gone, and everyone in it. But the babe who breathed with labor had survived.

He had inhaled much smoke. Roku was amazed at his strength. Although his human scent was hard for her to bear, she had to admire the baby. He was like her. A survivor. Perhaps the only one. Yet Roku scented the trails of other humans leaving the village, and knew others must have escaped. But why did they leave the child? They must have not known he was there. The mother may have died. That was the only solution that Roku could think of, anyway. Roku knew the smell of the mother of the baby, for they were very similar, and could not determine it alone. The mother had to have escaped though. There was no smell of death in the house, only death to come.

Now Roku had the child, but what left to do? Roku's first instincts told her to find the family. The baby belonged with his parents. Roku despised humans, hated them with all her heart. And she had enough reason to, anyway. What was she doing with this human child? She was helping the thing which she had always come to fear! But for some reason, Roku was so bewildered and tired from the smoke, she did not seem aware of the complexity of her situation.

Roku opened her eyes. She looked to the area next to her, where the babe slept. He seemed to be recovering remarkably. And then in the sunlight it was clear to Roku why.

He had two triangular ears upon his small head of white hair.

Roku almost had to blink twice to realize it was real. This child...was not human. But his body certainly looked it? What on earth was this? Then it finally came to Roku. He smelled like a human, but looked like a Youkai.

The child was a _hanyou._

Roku had heard of hanyous before, beings who were half human and half youkai, but she had never actually _seen_ one before. She had come to believe eventually they did not exist at all. But there it was, living breathing proof. How could a _human..._a disgusting, depraved human, ever love a youkai, and vice versa? Humans were lowlifes. So were many Youkai. Roku was fortunate enough to have had a kind Youkai father, at least.

Roku snorted, and lay her head down again. But deep down she was relieved the child had lived. Her efforts had been worth a bounty. Yet Roku could not figure out why she had done it. Even when she did it, she didn't know. It was one of those things, she supposed. Stupidity, perhaps. Perhaps she had no common sense.

After a while more of silence, it was broken by the deafening screech of a beast. The child had awakened.

Oh the gods, how he cried! When she had saved him the flames drowned out all other sounds. No wonder she could hear him over all the noise! Oh, how her ears nearly went deaf! The child wailed at the top of his lungs, tears streaming down his cheeks in great rivers. Roku jumped up in utter shock, her eyes wide, and looked at the child surprised.

Why was he crying? At first, Roku just lay where she was. She saved him. That was enough for her. Stupid half human. Why should she care what happened to him? She ignored his cries, her ears covered with her paws. Roku tossed back and forth until finally she got up very annoyed and went to the child. She growled ferociously at him to shut him up. But he cried even more. She poked him with her paw, acting fierce and huge, and nearly scared the life out of the poor babe. Roku immediately felt regret at this action, and touched the child with her paw. But she did not realize how delicate he was, and she accidentally knocked him over and he rolled out of his cloth he was wrapped in. He wailed even more, and Roku could see why.

Across his chest and little legs were horrific burns. Roku winced when she saw them. Oh, the poor child! No wonder he wailed when he was conscious. Roku was not sure what to do.

_"Just leave him!" _she thought _"The last thing you need with you is a human! He'll die anyway!"_ But Roku could not turn away. She went to the child, and gently lifted his head, but it seemed he hurt every time he moved. She was gentle this time, but suddenly his little hand reached out and grabbed the fur on her leg. Roku literally screeched and jumped back as if a poisonous snake had bitten her. The child looked at her with his golden eyes, now red from crying, and reached out to her, wailing like mad.

Roku could not look at the poor baby's burns. Her thoughts were about an herb she had learned about long ago from her father, called aloe. When she had burned her paw once as a pup, her father combined the aloe leaves and some other herbs to ease the pain. Roku sniffed around to find some of the same herb, and luckily, she found some into the forest about a quarter of a mile, in a small grove. She easily found her way back to the baby, from his screeches and cries. Roku took the leaves in her mouth, and carefully approached the baby slowly. He reached for her, but Roku quickly squeezed the leaves substance out onto the burns and leaped back quickly. The baby lay there again crying, but soon it was ended as the herb seemed to take effect. The tears still came, but he simply sniffled and shook his mouth until he seemed calm enough. He breathed heavy as he lay there. Roku sighed heavily. Success. She walked up to the baby again, looking down at his sore eyes. All was calm and Roku lay down again. She rested for some time, pondering her thoughts, and then she smelled it.

It came from the small cloth piece around his rear. Roku nearly gagged. Of course, she thought. If he "went"...it _had_ to go somewhere.

_"No...OHHHH **NO**..." _thought Roku. The lotion was her limit. No _way _ was she doing this! It was disgusting! What was _wrong_ with these humans! They were so VILE! Roku backed away from the baby, and once again he cried, but not nearly as much as before. Roku really considered leaving him now. She got up, turned to leave, and was almost into the trees, but she could not turn from this poor child's crying. It brought her back to him. She just _couldn't _ignore the sound of helplessness, of what would happen if he was left to die. Roku hated herself for even caring about a worthless human. But deep down a spark lit up, the thought of him all alone for the youkai or bandits to find, and Roku came back to the child.

She had to figure out something to do. She looked around the area, for something to aid her. She finally came upon some oddly large elephant leaves, and considered them to be large enough to accommodate the needs of the baby. She was about to pick one of the leaves, but she backed up confused.

_"This is stupid!" _she thought _"I don't need to deal with this! I can't be a slave to a HUMAN!"_ but Roku fought with herself _"But...he needs me. But he's a human, and no good can come from them. I have to get out of here, before I get myself killed!"_

Roku growled at herself, and with great foolishness, took the leaf back to the child. The smell was very strong now and Roku coughed as tears came to her eyes. Humans were...eww! But Roku knew what she had to do. She literally ripped the old cloth off of him, and with a great heave chucked it into the woods. Roku almost collapsed right there. But the vile cloth was gone, and Roku cleaned the baby, growling as his hands always reached for her. But he was not afraid. And as Roku saw, it was clearly a male baby. Her scent had not failed her. After putting some aloe on some red spots, Roku put the large elephant leaf on his rear, using the tree sap from a pine nearby, to keep the leaf together. The elephant leaf was sturdy, and Roku was surprised at how tough and thick it was. Now at last he was clean.

The baby cooed at her, blowing bubbles, but Roku rolled her eyes.

"You'd better appreciate that!" Roku snarled "I can't make any promises next time!" But Roku took a whole bunch of elephant leaves and put them in the cloth sac the baby was in. She then picked the whole bundle up by the scruff and decided to head the way the scent seemed to lead. It lead in many directions, so Roku believed more than one group of people went separate ways. Roku could not find the mother's scent, but figured the most fresh trail would lead her there.

The small band of human escapees was on the other side of the mountains now. Two men in particular carried a limp woman with raven dark hair. Her eyes her shallow, all emotion lost from them. They were at least 70 miles from the burned village. If the demons came back, they did not want to be nearby in any way, shape, or form. One man on a chestnut horse slowed behind the group to where one man now held the sad woman on horseback.

"How is she?" the man asked, very concerned

"She won't speak. She won't eat." the man holding her said

The kind man squinted his eyes. He was very old, but he knew grief when he saw it. The poor woman's son had died in the fire. And with that, a part of her too. And even though he was a hanyou, he could not hide the sadness of the loss.

"Iyazoi is a good woman. You make sure she's comfortable." the kind man said. He was the headman of the village that had been destroyed. His name was Haru. He sat next to one of the men who had pulled the woman out of the house. He knew the baby had died in the blaze. But something made him wonder about why the mother had been rescued and the baby had not. He was not certain, but he seemed uneasy about the whole situation. Perhaps he could learn some truth from one of the rescuers.

"Takau, could you come here for a minute?" he asked, nudging his horse in the left direction.

"Yes, sir." Takau replied, and followed Haru. They went to the outskirts of the small band of people. Haru then looked very firmly at Takau.

"I am glad all of my villagers are safe, and I pray for the ones who have perished."

"Yes." replied Haru "Many died in that massacre. Even one of my good friends."

"It is good that we are moving away. I hear the lowlands have an easier time with demons."

Haru just stared at the hooves of his horse. He knew that Haru was trying to probe him for something. He just wasn't sure quite what yet.

"It is a shame for that poor baby. That hanyou."

At these words, Takau seemed a bit uneasy. But he was a warrior, and was skilled at hiding any emotion.

"It is a shame that such an accident had to happen." Haru continued, noting the pupils wide in Takau's eyes. Body language always spoke a thousand words.

"Takau, it seems there is something troubling you."

Takau just stared blankly "No, I am just weary."

Haru knew he was hiding something. He had not lived all those years for nothing!

"That is good. For certainly if one of my villagers is troubled, it is important that he tell someone for help."

Takau lifted his head a little, almost as if he were to say something. But no regretful words came from his lips.

"Yes, sir. It is something everyone should know."

"You may leave now. That is all." Haru summoned Takau away. But he knew Takau was hiding something, and he would need to wait for time to reveal the secret. Haru trotted his horse to the front of the group. He looked behind him at the poor woman who sat on the horse, limp and lifeless, though her heart beat within her breast. He sighed to himself, and most likely was the only one of the whole band who felt grief for a half-breed child.

The woman sat limp on her horse, and as the animal passed by a jagged tree, a piece of her kimono accidentally ripped and became caught among the dead branches. A good-sized chunk of red kimono now hung from the limb like a flag, but the woman heeded no care. She looked almost as if she was dead. Nothing could help her withered soul now.

_"Poor woman...her child is gone. She has no more will to live." _He said to himself. He then pushed his horse to move forwards, under the shady tree path. The band moved further over the mountains to the lowlands below.


End file.
